A large shopping centre development at Sowton was recently turned down by Exeter City Council because it did not fit in with their vision for local centres in the large new housing developments springing up in that area. The scheme called for an out-of-town shopping centre with the likes of Next, Boots, etc.

The developer, rather than appealing the decision, has swiftly withdrawn the original plans and submitted a revised application, thus avoiding the hefty cost of submitting new plans.

They now say they will (possibly) include a post office, pharmacy and gym and maybe other smaller retail elements. This, they feel, fulfills the requirement for a more local feel to the plans.

Whether Exeter City Council agrees with this, or if an appeal is successful if they still reject it remains to be seen.

But it certainly puts a damper on those retail ventures willing to open up in secondary, nearby areas such as Cranbrook and those developers willing to take a chance on anything but (highly profitable) housing.

Revised plans for £40m retail park

An out-of-town shopping centre, near Sowton Industrial Estate, rejected by councillors last month has been resubmitted by its developers, with amendments to give it a greater local touch.

The application for land north of Honiton Road in Exeter, now includes a post office, a bank, and a gym, with statements submitted with saying that this ‘responds to the comments made by members that they would prefer more facilities for the local community’. M&S Simply Food, Boots, a drive-through McDonalds, a drive-through Costa are all named as tenants on the documents.

The other eight units would be filled with a yet-to-be-named discount food retailer, a post office, a newsagent, a bank, a gym, a restaurant, a hot food takeaway unit and a shop. The statement says: “The proposals now incorporate a greater range of uses, including a bank and a gym and responds to the comments made by members that they would prefer more facilities for the local community.

“The revised proposals therefore respond positively to the comments of members, and incorporates significant reduction in the floorspace, a proportionately greater reduction in the amount of retail, an extension of the range and diversity of retail uses to include both food and non-food shopping, a chemist and a post office, and an extension of the range and diversity of non-retail uses, to include a bank and a gym."